It was high time Adam Scott got his act together yesterday to show Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler he deserves to be in the front-line mix to win the tournaments that count.
With the exception of last year, Scott has won at least one tournament a year worldwide since he turned pro in 2000 – 33 times overall.
It’s now 12 on the USPGA tour, nine in Europe, five in Australasia, four in Asia, two others with the Grand Slam of Golf, and the World Cup with Day, plus one win on the Sunshine Tour.
But right through his career Scott has blown tournaments by throwing in doubles, triples, and missing gimme putts when he’s been in genuine contention.
It’s been a shameful waste of talent.
Two weeks ago, Scott threw in a lazy lack of concentration double bogey at the eighth hole on the final day among an eagle and six birdies to lose by a shot to Bubba Watson.
Last week an horrendous quadruple bogey at the treacherous par-three 15th hole didn’t cost victory as Scott knuckled down to overcome the major setback and win the Honda for the first time by a shot over Sergio Garcia.
A totally different attitude just a week apart.
But yesterday was his first win in 21 months since he beat Jason Dufner in a play-off for the Colonial to become world number one for 11 weeks.
In that barren 21-month period Spieth won eight times, McIlroy seven, Day five, Watson four, and Fowler four.
Scott has the chance to prove he’s turned the corner this week at Doral when the best golfers in the world tee off in the WGC-Cadillac Championship.
It’s a major strength field with 39 of the world’s top 40 on duty, only Thongchai Jaidee, ranked 34, will be missing.
Tee times won’t be available until Thursday morning our time, but expect at least 10 marquee groups of the highest calibre.
And also expect Spieth and McIlroy to bounce back strongly after both missed the cut last time out – rare in itself.
Day and Fowler joined them by missing the cut at the end of January – also rare.
That leaves Scott and Watson the ones to beat after putting away strong fields at their last start, as did world 19 ranked Louis Oosthuizen on the European Tour in Perth at his first sighting of the demanding Lake Karrinyup course.
So make this Doral tournament a must on the sporting bucket list to view this week, it promises to be something very special.
"It looked like it was gonna go for miles - and then it went nowhere!"
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